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| THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA |
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| SENATE BILL |
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| INTRODUCED BY GREENLEAF, STACK, FONTANA, ORIE, M. WHITE, BREWSTER, RAFFERTY, SCHWANK, MENSCH, ERICKSON, VOGEL, WAUGH, BAKER, WASHINGTON, FARNESE, BROWNE AND WILLIAMS, OCTOBER 4, 2011 |
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| REFERRED TO CONSUMER PROTECTION AND PROFESSIONAL LICENSURE, OCTOBER 4, 2011 |
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| AN ACT |
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1 | Amending the act of December 4, 1996 (P.L.893, No.141), entitled |
2 | "An act providing for volunteer health services; limiting |
3 | liability of a volunteer license holder; and requiring |
4 | reports," further providing for purpose, for definitions and |
5 | for liability. |
6 | The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania |
7 | hereby enacts as follows: |
8 | Section 1. Section 2 of the act of December 4, 1996 |
9 | (P.L.893, No.141), known as the Volunteer Health Services Act, |
10 | is amended to read: |
11 | Section 2. Purpose. |
12 | It is the purpose of this act to [increase]: |
13 | (1) Increase the availability of primary health care |
14 | services by establishing a procedure through which physicians |
15 | and other health care practitioners who are retired from |
16 | active practice may provide professional services as a |
17 | volunteer in approved clinics serving financially qualified |
18 | persons and in approved clinics located in medically |
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1 | underserved areas or health professionals shortage areas. |
2 | (2) Increase the availability of mental health services |
3 | by establishing a procedure through which physicians and |
4 | other health care practitioners who are retired from active |
5 | practice may provide mental health services as a volunteer to |
6 | United States military personnel and their families through |
7 | an approved clinic. |
8 | Section 2. Section 3 of the act, amended June 19, 2002 |
9 | (P.L.406, No.58), is amended to read: |
10 | Section 3. Definitions. |
11 | The following words and phrases when used in this act shall |
12 | have the meanings given to them in this section unless the |
13 | context clearly indicates otherwise: |
14 | "Approved clinic." An organized community-based clinic |
15 | offering primary health care services to individuals and |
16 | families who cannot pay for their care, to medical assistance |
17 | clients or to residents of medically underserved areas or health |
18 | professionals shortage areas. The term may include, but shall |
19 | not be limited to, a State health center, nonprofit community- |
20 | based clinic and federally qualified health center, as |
21 | designated by Federal rulemaking or as approved by the |
22 | Department of Health or the Department of Public Welfare. The |
23 | term shall also include a nonprofit organization as defined |
24 | under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 |
25 | (Public Law 99-514, 26 U.S.C. § 501(c)(3)) whose purpose is to |
26 | provide free mental health services offered by licensed |
27 | volunteers, whether inside or outside a clinic setting, to |
28 | United States military personnel and their families regardless |
29 | of income. |
30 | "Board." The State Board of Medicine, the State Board of |
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1 | Osteopathic Medicine, the State Board of Dentistry, the State |
2 | Board of Podiatry, the State Board of Nursing, the State Board |
3 | of Optometry [and], the State Board of Chiropractic, the State |
4 | Board of Psychology and the State Board of Social Workers, |
5 | Marriage and Family Therapists and Professional Counselors. |
6 | "Health care practitioner." An individual licensed to |
7 | practice a component of the healing arts by a licensing board |
8 | within the Department of State. |
9 | "Licensee." An individual who holds a current, active, |
10 | unrestricted license as a health care practitioner issued by the |
11 | appropriate board. |
12 | "Mental health services." The term includes, but is not |
13 | limited to, marital and family therapy, substance abuse |
14 | counseling and treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder and |
15 | traumatic brain injury. |
16 | "Primary health care services." The term includes, but is |
17 | not limited to, regular checkups, immunizations, school |
18 | physicals, health education, prenatal and obstetrical care, |
19 | early periodic screening and diagnostic testing [and], health |
20 | education and mental health services. |
21 | "Volunteer license." A license issued by the appropriate |
22 | board to a health care practitioner who documents, to the |
23 | board's satisfaction, that the individual will practice only in |
24 | approved clinics without remuneration, who is: |
25 | (1) a retired health care practitioner; or |
26 | (2) a nonretired health care practitioner who is not |
27 | required to maintain professional liability insurance under |
28 | the act of October 15, 1975 (P.L.390, No.111), known as the |
29 | Health Care Services Malpractice Act, or the act of March 20, |
30 | 2002 (P.L.154, No.13), known as the Medical Care Availability |
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1 | and Reduction of Error (Mcare) Act, because the health care |
2 | practitioner is not otherwise practicing medicine or |
3 | providing health care services in this Commonwealth. |
4 | Section 3. Section 7(b) of the act is amended to read: |
5 | Section 7. Liability. |
6 | * * * |
7 | (b) Application.-- |
8 | (1) This section shall not apply unless: |
9 | (i) the approved clinic posts in a conspicuous place |
10 | on its premises an explanation of the exemptions from |
11 | civil liability provided under subsection (a)[.]; or |
12 | (ii) in the case of an approved clinic that is a |
13 | nonprofit organization providing free mental health |
14 | services to United States military personnel and their |
15 | families, the volunteer licensee posts an explanation of |
16 | the exemptions from civil liability in a conspicuous |
17 | place on the premises in which the volunteer licensee is |
18 | providing the services. |
19 | (2) The protections provided by this section shall not |
20 | apply to institutional health care providers, such as |
21 | hospitals or approved clinics, subject to vicarious liability |
22 | for the conduct of a volunteer license holder. The liability |
23 | of such institutional defendants shall be governed by the |
24 | standard of care established by common law. |
25 | Section 4. This act shall take effect immediately. |
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